20140910016829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J3C-65 · Hillsville, VA · September 10, 2014

Date: September 10, 2014 · 13:12 local
Place: Hillsville, VA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N26105
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA14LA433
Reported as: Piper J3C-65
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N26105Registration cancelled Jan 25, 2025 · Piper J3C-65S/N 4051 Airframe modelPiper J3C-65

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot departed beckley, WV (bkw)enroute to north carolina. Flight was VFR and pilot was navigating by following southbound interstate 77. Pilot encountered IMC conditions (fog). Aircraft impacted trees in between northbound and southbound lanes at mile marker 5.8.

A/c records review did not indicate any issues to cause the aircraft to be unairworthy.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED BECKLEY, WV (BKW)ENROUTE TO NORTH CAROLINA. FLIGHT WAS VFR AND PILOT WAS NAVIGATING BY FOLLOWING SOUTHBOUND INTERSTATE 77. PILOT ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS (FOG). AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES IN BETWEEN NORTHBOUND AND SOUTHBOUND LANES AT MILE MARKER 5.8.

A/C RECORDS REVIEW DID NOT INDICATE ANY ISSUES TO CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO BE UNAIRWORTHY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA14LA433Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCarrol County, VAThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during an emergency landing after encountering deteriorating weather conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s poor preflight weather planning, which resulted in an inadvertent encounter with…Sep 10, 2014 · Substantial damage